2024 Met Gala Live Updates: How to Watch, When The Red Carpet ...
Updated May 6, 2024, 9:31 PM UTC / Source: TODAY
The Met Gala is one of New York City’s biggest annual events — and definitely the most fashionable.
The coveted invitation to attend brings out stars in their finest couture each year on the iconic steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The 2024 Met Gala is no different, with the A-listers donning what is expected to be a stylish, stunning and unexpected array of ensembles that fit this year’s “The Garden of Time” theme.
The May 6 gala marks the opening of the Costume Institute’s spring exhibition, titled “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion,” as well as raises funds for the organization. It's also invite-only and comes with a hefty price tag.
This year's exhibition pays tribute to the natural world. “It is very much an ode to nature and the emotional poetics of fashion,” Andrew Bolton, curator in charge of the Costume Institute, told Vogue about the exhibition, which is shaped around three main “zones”— land, sea and sky.
While the theme is up for interpretation, expect to see co-chairs of the gala, Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Bad Bunny and Chris Hemsworth, dressed to impress.
As for other attendees, the guest list is usually kept hush, hush, with people wondering who they will see walk the iconic (and long!) carpet. Among the questions asked ahead of the first Monday in May are: Will Taylor Swift make an appearance at the Met Gala? Will she bring her boyfriend, Travis Kelce? Will the Kardashian-Jenners turn heads and will Rihanna once again be among the best dressed?
Follow along as TODAY.com shares updates in real time about celebrities getting ready, arrivals, unexpected moments and more.
Co-chair Bad Bunny knows how to bring his A-game to any fashion event. After donning a backless white suit with a draping cape made of rosettes at last year's Met Gala, the "Monaco" singer's 2024 look was one for the books.
Bad Bunny, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, stood out from the crowd in a custom Maison Margiela suit.
Bad Bunny at the 2024 Met Gala.Jamie McCarthy / Getty ImagesThe singer opted for a dark pin-stripped tailored suit with red stripes on the pants. He also wore black gloves, triangle sunglasses and a statement hat. He also carried what appears to be a black bouquet of flowers.
This is the Puerto Rican superstar's third time at the Met Gala. He made his red carpet debut at the event in 2022.
Journalist Deborah Roberts had a sweet moment with TODAY's Sheinelle Jones while on the steps of the “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening"-themed Met Gala.
TODAY's Al Roker's wife was perfectly on theme in a yellow strapless gown with earthy graphics, green heels and a greenery-filled headpiece.
"Hey you with the green," Deborah told Sheinelle, who said she looked "amazing."
"You too," Deborah said, as she took out her cell phone and snapped a photo together.
Check out Deborah's full look below:
Deborah Roberts at the 2024 Met Gala on May 6, 2024, in New York.Jamie McCarthy / Getty ImagesAshley Graham helped kick off the start of the 2024 Met Gala red carpet with her stunning arrival Monday night.
The model, who is co-hosting Vogue.com's livestream of the event, donned a custom Ludovic de Saint Sernin leather and sheer gown. The dress featured a halter top, metallic flowers on the bodice and a silky wrap to complete the look.
Graham told TODAY.com on the red carpet that the dress was handmade and took over 500 hours to create. "It's insanity what (Ludovic de Saint Sernin) and his team did," she praised.
Ashley Graham poses for photos at the 2024 Met Gala. Jamie McCarthy / Getty ImagesShe added, "I can barely breathe. The organs have been moved together. As you can see, this is not my normal waist."
The 36-year-old will share her hosting duties throughout the evening with La La Anthony and “Wednesday” star Gwendoline Christie. Emma Chamberlain will also be on site to serve as the magazine's special red carpet correspondent.
Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour has arrived at the 2024 Met Gala Red carpet.
She is wearing a floral black custom Loewe floor-length jacket over a white dress and accessorized with a large floral brooch and diamond necklace.
She did not wear her trademark dark sunglasses to pose for photos.
The flowers on her jacket seemingly are in tribute to the 2024 theme, “The Garden of Time.”
Last year's Met Gala was a tribute to the late fashion icon Karl Lagerfeld with the theme of “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty.”
Held on May 1, Penélope Cruz, Michaela Coel, Roger Federer and Dua Lipa joined Vogue’s Anna Wintour as co-chairs of the celebration. It was a black-and-white heavy red carpet, with the stars channeling their inner Lagerfeld.
Cardi B rocked two looks at the event. She arrived in a black ball gown after first wearing a dramatic pink, over-the-top dress while leaving her hotel.
Cardi B in her two looks at the 2023 Met Gala.Getty ImagesAnne Hathaway was a showstopper in a tweed, cut-out Versace gown.
Anne Hathaway 2023 Met GalaJamie McCarthy / Getty ImagesAmong the best dressed men of the night included actor Brian Tyree Henry. He arrived in a black, ruffled cape with multiple black and white pearl necklaces.
Rihanna was a sight for sore eyes in her white gown and long train designed by Valentino that included a face-covering top made of rosettes. She later opened the top and showed off the delicate single-strap dress underneath.
A$AP Rocky and Rihanna arrive late to the Met Gala.Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty ImagesRelive many of the best dressed stars at the 2023 Met Gala, here.
For those looking to watch their favorite stars on the red carpet, guest arrivals begin at 5:30 p.m. ET and generally wrap up around 8 p.m.
Both Vogue and E! will host live stream coverage from the red carpet, starting at 6 p.m. ET. For more on how to watch, click here.
All eyes are on the red carpet at the Met Gala, but the majority of the fashion magic happens behind the scenes at a slew of high-end hotels across New York City.
Vogue reports A-listers are known for staying at hotels like The Beekman, The Carlyle, The Mark and The Pierre, where inside the rooms, celebs spend hours perfecting their looks and glam.
Onlookers can get a first look at celebrities' outfits for the first Monday in May as stars depart for The Met from their hotels, and TODAY.com will be on the ground at The Pierre to catch a glimpse at what is in store for the night ahead.
Only one event has the power to unite models, designers, musicians, actors and other A-listers: The Met Gala.
The Met Gala’s dress codes complement the event’s theme, derived from the Costume Institute’s spring exhibit. As we mentioned, the 2024 event's dress code is “The Garden of Time,” paired with the new exhibition, “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion.”
Though the Met Gala began in 1948, the first themed year was in 1973. From then on — starting with the theme of “The World of Balenciaga” — to this year's “The Garden of Time,” take a look back at the Met Gala over the years here.
Vogue's Anna Wintour started overseeing the Met Gala in 1995 and has co-chaired every year since, with the exceptions of 1996 and 1998, according to the publication.
A group of A-listers are selected annually to work with Wintour. For the 2024 Met Gala, Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Bad Bunny and Chris Hemsworth were tapped to be the co-hosts for the evening. Loewe creative director Jonathan Anderson and TikTok CEO Shou Chew are also honorary chairs.
The co-chairs act as a committee that helps ensure the star-studded night is a success.
While Hemsworth will make his debut at the gala on May 6, his fellow co-chairs have made multiple appearances on the famous Met steps. In her TODAY interview, Wintour gushed about her co-hosts and pointed out that it will be Lopez's 14th time attending. She also complimented Bad Bunny's stage presence and compared Hemsworth to a fairy tale prince.
"And then Zendaya, you know, a couple of years when she couldn’t come," Wintour said. "I felt gloom hung over the internet. Like, you know, a cloud of sad emojis because everyone always looks forward to what she’s gonna wear. And I know she will not disappoint."
The Met Gala is one of the most exclusive events in Hollywood — only a select group of celebrities receive the special invitation.
But the price to attend fashion’s biggest night of the year isn’t cheap. AP reported in 2023 that an individual ticket cost $50,000 and the starting price for tables was $300,000.
Wintour approves the guest list, which is kept a secret until the arrivals begin.
The gala serves as a fundraiser for the Met’s Costume Institute. The 2023 Met Gala raised nearly $22 million, setting a record for the event, according to Vogue Business.
Every year, the Met Gala theme matches the latest exhibition at the museum's Costume Institute.
The new exhibit at the museum this year is titled, "Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion," and includes approximately 250 pieces from the Costume Institute's archives.
Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour explained on TODAY that the "Sleeping Beauties" refers to "taking these masterpieces from different periods" and giving the "fragile" art new life in the museum.
To coincide with the theme, the dress code for the evening will be "The Garden of Time," a reference to J. G. Ballard's 1962 short story of the same name, according to Vogue.
Wintour told TODAY co-anchor Jenna Bush Hager that she expects there will be plenty of flowers on the red carpet.
The "Sleeping Beauties" theme follows the "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty" theme last year that honored the late fashion icon, who died in 2019 at the age of 85. Other past themes include "Gilded Glamour," "Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology" and "Heavenly Bodies: Fashion & The Catholic Imagination."
Established by fashion publicist Eleanor Lambert, the first Costume Institute Gala, or Met Gala, took place in 1948. As it is now, the high society event was a fundraiser for the then-newly founded Costume Institute, marking the opening of its annual exhibit.
According to Vogue, in its early days, the annual event was an exclusive dinner held at various locations across the city. It wasn't until former Vogue editor-in-chief Diana Vreeland became a consultant for the Costume Institute in 1972 that it became what it has become now. Vreeland moved the Gala to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and created the concept of co-chairs.
In 1995 current Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour took the reins as chairman of the Institute. Up until 1999, the Met Gala would take place in December or late November. However, per Vogue, it was later changed to spring because the season was less crowded with social events; thus the first Monday in May was born.
From its inception, the invitation-only Met Gala celebrates historical periods, genres, individual creators and moments in time, with celebrities, models, designers, influencers and select A-listers invited. It has also evolved to include special performances by big stars like Rihanna, Cher, Lady Gaga, Madonna and more.
Over time, the price of the ticket has jumped from under $100 to $75,000 for one ticket in 2024, according to the New York Times.
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